


Witching Hour

by koiffish



Category: Runaways (TV 2017)
Genre: F/F, Urban Fantasy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-04
Updated: 2018-02-04
Packaged: 2019-03-13 13:26:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,340
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13571487
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/koiffish/pseuds/koiffish
Summary: Nico finds her life in danger against a dark spellcaster.





	Witching Hour

**Author's Note:**

> I took out the wand/staff and gave her a cat instead.

The potted plant just sat there on the center of the table, unmoving, as normal as can be, with little green leaves and miniature twigs sprouting from it.

Nico sighed while staring at the plant, looking for any indication that the spell she just casted was taking an affect. But several moments later, she hung her head in misery. It’s either she mispronounced the incantation or she really didn’t have enough power to set the spell in motion.

She glanced down again at the large leather-bound book laid open in front of her, scanning the ancient words carefully and trying to shape the sounds with her tongue, her entire concentration focused on the contents.

She didn’t even notice the back door of the kitchen creaked open; a pale wrinkled hand gripped the knob from the other side of the heavy carved wood. The wind chimes hanging overhead tinkled gently as it swayed to the nonexistent breeze, and a cold air crept inside, cracking the warmth of the room.

The hand belonged to an elderly woman. A shawl covered her lean shoulders and a lace veil on her head. She raised her brooding dark eyes to the figure of the young lady standing beside the table, reading a book and a small plant in a clay pot in front of her.

Nico finally felt the odd presence in the room with her and she paused studying the spell. She turned her head as calmly as she could towards the backdoor, bracing herself for any surprises.

There was no one at the door.

She sighed with relief, dismissing the unusual vibe as a product of her overactive imagination.

Nico turned back to her book and her heart almost jumped out of her throat when she saw the old woman on the opposite side of the table, glaring at her with a fiery expression, almost like she wanted to devour the younger one.

With her heartbeat drumming double-time, Nico held on to the edge of the table for balance, knuckles white and palms clammy with nerves. This wasn’t just a regular visitor – it’s an intruder with a purpose.

The veiled lady was already muttering her spell, the corrupted magic directed towards Nico.

Nico met the gaze of the woman with her own determined eyes, rapidly spitting out the strongest charm she knows through her grounded teeth. She could feel the other lady’s spell forcing her back, shattering her spirit, breaking her apart.

She was older, wiser, and definitely stronger.

Nico’s tight grasp on the table eventually loosened as she gagged and coughed up blood, splattering the book and the floor with the thick crimson fluid. Her nose also trickled with it, dripping to her lips.

She’s losing, and it’s bad.

Dread knotted inside her stomach as strength slowly left her body, and triumph filled the old woman’s hungry eyes.

The elderly stranger’s craggy face gradually smoothed and became younger, her grey hair darkened and grew in length, her stooped body gathered fresh energy as Nico was drying up and dying.

Nico fell to the floor and lay there gasping. The inky-dark curse of her opponent crawled beneath her skin like thorny vines, robbing her of power and life.

The girl was drawing her last breaths when the transformation of the old woman finally completed. She walked to Nico, crouched beside her limp body and peered at her with bright brown eyes; luscious hair framing the devious face, a playful smile twitched on her full mouth.

The old woman was now a pretty teenager. And she’s relishing the victory over her younger competitor.

“Pity,” she said, placing a finger on Nico’s bottom lip as the latter choked on air. “You were full of potential, I almost felt sorry for you.”

Her dark eyes flashed devilishly, the insincerity in them was so obvious that it couldn’t be any more blatant.

“But,” she chimed, tracing Nico’s jaw with her forefinger. “Our world is all about survival of the fittest. And unfortunately, I’m a better caster.”

She giggled madly and caressed Nico’s cheek with a soft hand, bending closer to her.

“But rest assured, gorgeous, I’ll use your youth and life only for the good of humankind,” she planted a brief kiss on her lips as Nico’s sight dimmed and her consciousness faded into nothing.

“Sleep well, beautiful.”

+

Nico’s eyes fluttered open, blinking up several times at the ceiling barely illuminated by the night light set on the far wall.

She rubbed her eyes and shifted over to take a glimpse of the digital clock on her bedside table, the time said: 3:00AM.

Witching hour.

She rolled out of the bed, snatching her robe and pulling it over her thin-clothed body as she took her book of spells from under the mattress. She walked to Dawn’s – her cat – basket in the corner of the room to rouse the animal. But the shiny black cat only offered an irritated yawn and went back to sleep, ignoring the pleas her owner.

Nico shrugged and made a mental note to scold the insubordinate pet in the morning when people are legally allowed to raise their voice above the normal level.

But as she was climbing down the stairs to the kitchen she paused, feeling that she missed something important but can’t remember what it was… something about a spell?

When she mulled over it for at least a minute and still couldn’t recall whatever it was, she gave up, going on with her plan to practice her magic skills while it’s still witching hour.

Nico flicked the kitchen light switch on and a blinding sudden whiteness flooded the room, revealing the large polished oaken table and the gleaming tiles of the sink.

She laid the book on the table and gently opened it, flipping a few pages until she finally rested her hand on the desired page.

A small house plant on the window ledge caught her attention and she nodded to herself, finding the perfect object to practice her spell on.

Again, as she reached for the plant, there was a sense of déjà vu in the air, like this really happened before.

But did it?

“Something is messing with your mind,” she whispered to herself, slightly shaking her head. “Come on, focus.”

The wind chime jingled softly without an aid of any wind, and Nico froze at the sound. She was now sure this really happened before, but when?

Her eyes widened with fear as the doorknob turned faintly, and her heart hammered painfully inside her chest as frosty air slithered in like a snake from the gap under the back door of the kitchen.

She took a hesitant step back, her hands closed to fists, eyeing the door warily.

“Babe?”

A groggy voice snapped her out of her trance, she turned quickly, seeing the sleepy figure of her girlfriend in her pajamas and standing barefooted on the doorway.

“What are you doing? Why’re you up so early?” her girlfriend yawned, partly covering her mouth with a hand, then she noticed the open book on the table, her perfectly shaped left brow lifted. “Or so late?”

“N-nothing…” Nico replied distractedly, she glanced back at the door and everything was back to normal again, as if nothing unusual happened.

“Hmmn,” the other girl walked to her and slid her arms around her waist; she buried her face in the crook of Nico’s neck. “You should be getting a proper rest,” she whispered against her skin, lightly tickling Nico. “We weren’t given separated rooms for no reason.”

Nico chuckled despite still being disturbed by the prior events. She hugged her girlfriend back, their bodies producing delicious and comfortable heat, and enough to get her mind off whatever was bothering her.

“So, your room or mine?” she teased, gently nibbling the earlobe of the girl.

“Don’t tempt me, you rule breaker,” the girl giggled, raising her face and pouted at Nico.

“You should sleep well, beautiful.”

Nico was stunned, the clear blue eyes of her girlfriend suddenly turned to brown.


End file.
